# Install giflib with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Library and utilities for processing GIFs. Version 6.1.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-04-13. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:giflib ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install giflib ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install giflib ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/giflib/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add giflib ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: giflib from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install giflib-tools ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: giflib-tools from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install giflib ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: giflib from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#giflib ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gi/giflib/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S giflib ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: giflib from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install giflib-devel ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: giflib-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:giflib - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 6.1.3 - **Source summary:** Library and utilities for processing GIFs - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-04-13T13:38:27Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - gifbuild (cli) - gifclrmp (cli) - giffix (cli) - giftext (cli) - giftool (cli) - gifbuild (alias) - gifclrmp (alias) - giffix (alias) - giftext (alias) - giftool (alias) ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 6.1.3 - Package-manager updated: 2026-04-13 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://giflib.sourceforge.net/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage GIFLIB is the long-lived C library and utility collection for reading, writing, inspecting, and transforming GIF images. ### Project history GIFLIB traces its code lineage to a DOS library and command-line tool set written by Gershon Elber between the GIF87 and GIF89 specifications, with version 1.0 dated June 1989. Eric S. Raymond ported the code to System V Unix by the end of 1989 and reworked parts of the API between 1989 and 1992. During the LZW patent era, part of the code base traveled as libungif with compression removed. Compression support was merged back after the blocking patent expired, and the project resumed the giflib name. In 2012, Raymond returned to project leadership, released 4.2, and followed with 5.0, a release that addressed old backlog items, thread-safety, GIF89 control blocks, and obsolete utility cleanup. ### Adoption history GIFLIB's own history records that the Unix port was incorporated into NCSA Mosaic in 1994, making it part of the early web's image stack. The project describes the library as deployed across browsers, graphics applications, operating systems, smartphones, game consoles, and embedded devices. ### How it is used Practitioners use GIFLIB either through the C API or through utilities such as giftext, giffix, gifbuild, giftool, and gifclrmp. The library supports sequential GIF I/O and whole-image in-memory workflows, while the utility set helps inspect, repair, compose, and transform GIF files. ### Why package nerds care GIFLIB matters to package maintainers because it is small, mature infrastructure with a very large reverse-dependency surface. Its ABI changes, security hardening, and fuzzing fixes carry ecosystem weight out of proportion to the package's size. ### Timeline - 1989: GIFLIB 1.0 dated in the original DOS lineage. - 1994: GIFLIB-derived code used in NCSA Mosaic. - 1998: Toshio Kuratomi shipped 4.0. - 2004: Compression support merged back after patent expiry. - 2012: Version 5.0 released with thread-safety and GIF89 API work. ### Related projects - libungif is part of GIFLIB's patent-era history. Gifsicle, ImageMagick, browser engines, and many image-processing stacks occupy adjacent or dependent parts of the GIF ecosystem. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** giflib - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - giflib-tools - 5.2.2-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: giflib-tools from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for GIF images (utilities) | https://giflib.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - libgif-dev - 5.2.2-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libgif-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for GIF images (development) | https://giflib.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - libgif7 - 5.2.2-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libgif7 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | library for GIF images (library) | https://giflib.sourceforge.net/ - Nix - giflib: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/gi/giflib/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - giflib-tools - 5.2.2-1ubuntu1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: giflib-tools from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for GIF images (utilities) | https://giflib.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - libgif-dev - 5.2.2-1ubuntu1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libgif-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for GIF images (development) | https://giflib.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - libgif7 - 5.2.2-1ubuntu1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libgif7 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | library for GIF images (library) | https://giflib.sourceforge.net/ - apk - giflib - 5.2.2-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: giflib from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A library for reading and writing GIF images | https://sourceforge.net/projects/giflib/ - apk - giflib-dev - 5.2.2-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: giflib-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A library for reading and writing GIF images (development files) | https://sourceforge.net/projects/giflib/ - apk - giflib-doc - 5.2.2-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: giflib-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A library for reading and writing GIF images (documentation) | https://sourceforge.net/projects/giflib/ - apk - giflib-static - 5.2.2-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: giflib-static from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A library for reading and writing GIF images (static library) | https://sourceforge.net/projects/giflib/ - apk - giflib-utils - 5.2.2-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: giflib-utils from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Programs for manipulating GIF format image files | https://sourceforge.net/projects/giflib/ - dnf - giflib - 6.1.3-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: giflib from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | A library and utilities for processing GIFs | http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/giflib/ - dnf - giflib-devel - 6.1.3-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: giflib-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files for programs using the giflib library | http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/giflib/ - dnf - giflib-utils - 6.1.3-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: giflib-utils from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Programs for manipulating GIF format image files | http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/giflib/ - dnf - mingw32-giflib - 6.1.3-2.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: mingw32-giflib from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | MinGW Windows giflib library | http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/giflib/ ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - 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Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, source. - [docutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docutils/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, processing. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/giflib.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/giflib.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph